Toilet seat and hinge assembly

ABSTRACT

A toilet seat and cover assembly wherein the pivot axis in the seat is a considerably greater distance above the seat bottom than from the plane of the seat back edge, so that the back edge of the seat will be spaced a substantial distance above the top surface of a toilet bowl upon which the seat is mounted, when the seat is swung about its pivot to an upright position. The seat, cover and hinge posts are pivotally connected by removable hinge pins having yieldable means to prevent accidental displacement.

United States Patent [72] Inventor William 0. Brown Columbus, Miss. [21] Appl. No. 10.470 [22] Filed Feb. 10, 1970 [45] Patented July 6, 1971 [73] Assignee Beneke Division, Beatrice Foods Co. Columbus, Miss.

[54] TOILET SEAT AND HINGE ASSEMBL 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.5. CI.... 4/236 [51] InLCl ..A47k 13/12 [50) Field of Search 4/240, 234, 236, 98, 237

[56] References cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,949,442 3/1934 Zundel 4/234 X 2,202,668 5/1940 Moore 4/236 2,212,295 8/1940 Leslie 4/236 2,448,330 8/1948 Sperzel 1. 4/236 2,913,735 11/1959 Leslie 4/234 3,032,777 5/1962 Young 4/240 3,038,173 6/1962 Turek et a1. 4/236 3,308,483 3/1967 Miller 4/236 3,334,361 8/1967 Watson 4/236 3,474,470 10/1969 Watson 4/240 FOREIGN PATENTS 348,526 8/1960 Switzerland 4/240 478,405 2/1953 Italy 4/240 Primary Examiner Henry K. Artis Attorney-Mason, Fenwick and Lawrence ABSTRACT: A toilet seat and cover assembly wherein the pivot axis in the seat is a considerably greater distance above the seat bottom than from the plane of the seat back edge, so that the back edge of the seat will be spaced a substantial distance above the top surface of a toilet bowl upon which the seat is mounted, when the seat is swung about its pivot to an upright position. The seat, cover and hinge posts are pivotally connected by removable hinge pins having yieldable means to prevent accidental displacement.

PMENIEU JUL 6 |97| SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOR B'I' muse-m5; MAL, '%Cf&un,wua

ATTORNEYS PATENTED JUL 6 I971 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR W\LLIAM 0. BROWN BY W M ku4umDm aCgiu-Lwa ATTORNEYS TOILET SEAT AND HINGE ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toilet seats, and more particularly to toilet seats of improved design with improved mounting means to facilitate sanitary maintenance of the seat.

The problems attending the cleaning of bowls, particularly the bowl upper surface around the mounting posts for the seat and lid are well known. Housewives have tried varied ways, and contrived many devices to reach under the seat edge for complete edge for complete cleaning about the hinge post bottom edge. This is almost impossible, as the edge of the conventional toilet seat when the seat is raised is about seven-eighths inch above the surface of the rear portion of the bowl.

It has been customary in designing hinged toilet seats and lids to have the rotational axis of the assembly on the cover leaf. Because of this the back edge of the seat remains close to the upper surface of the bowl, even when the seat is rotated about its pivot axis to the conventional upright position. This leaves little room for access to the bowl surface. A hand cannot be inserted between the seat and bowl, and the mere pushing of a cleaning cloth through the space is not sufficient to adequately clean the bowl surface, particularly the area closely adjacent the hinge posts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide a toilet seat and mounting which will present ample clearance when the seat is raised to permit passage of'a hand freely between the seat edge and bowl top surface and afford complete access to the bowl top surface, particularly around the mounting post bases.

A more specific object is the provision of a seat and cover combination wherein the rotation axis is on the seat ring rather than the cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toilet seat, or a seat and cover combination wherein the seat, or the seat and cover can quickly and easily be removed from the bowl and repositioned without the use of tools, yet will be securely held in hinged connection with the bowl unless deliberately released. A

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany, and form part of, this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet seat and cover embodying the principles of the present invention shown attached to a toilet bowl;

FIG. 2 shows the elements of the seat and cover and the means for attachment to the toilet bowl in exploded perspective;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken through the seat, cover and bowl at a hinge post, the section being taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFlG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with the seat and cover shown in raised position; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the assembly, taken on the line 5-5 ofFlG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in detail, a toilet seat 1 and a toilet seat cover 2 are shown hingedly mounted on a conventional toilet bowl 3. They are mounted on hinge posts 4 by pivot pins 5, with the hinge posts being fixed to the bowl.

The seat 3 is shown as having the usual closed ring portion 6, although the well known open front type could be used as well, and a rear, mounting section 7. The ring has conventional resilient pads 8 seamed to its bottom face to seat upon the bowl.

The mounting section 7 of the seat has a pair of upwardly extending mounting ears 9 at its sides, the ears being spaced inwardly from the seat side edges. The upperv surface of the seat curves upwardly and rearwardly at the back to provide an upstanding rear apron 10 from one mounting ear 9 to the other. The lower portion of the seat extends rearwardly, as at ll,-to the back of the mounting ears, so that the apron and the rearward extension 11 form a mounting recess 12 with the ears providing the end walls. Each ear has a pivot opening 13' located some distance above the bottom of the seat, with the common center axis of the openings being several times as far above the seat bottom surface as from the rear edge plane of the mounting ears.

The cover 2 is shown as a molded member shaped to rather closely embrace the seat. The seat ring covering portion 14 has resilient pads 15 to rest upon the seat ring to prevent marring the ring. Mounting ears 16 project rearwardly from the cover to lie outside the ears 9 of the seat when the seat and cover are assembled. The cover also has an upwardly and rearwardly curving apron 17 to overlie apron 10 of the seat. The ears and apron of the cover define a recess 18 to receive the upper portion of the mounting section of the seat. Each ear 16 has a socket 19 in its inner face for alignment with the pivot openings 13 of the seat to hinge the seat and cover on a common hinge pin.

Hinge posts 4 have rectangular bases 20, seat-mounting top portions 21 and upwardly and forwardly inclined arms 22 extending from the bases to the seat-mounting portions, to elevate and forwardly offset the seat-mounting portions from the bases. Each base has a bottom flat surface to rest upon the usual rearward extension of the bowl, and mounting means, such as the studs-23 project downwardly from these surfaces. The lower ends of the studs are threaded, and conventional washers 24 and nuts 25 complete the mounting. Any other convenient type of mounting means may be employed. Each hinge post has an opening 26 through the top, seat-mounting portion to receive a hinge pin 5.

There are two hinge pins 5, one for each hinge post. Each pin consists of a pivot rod 27 and a head 28 with a finger piece 29. The pivot rod is sufficiently long to extend through the hinge post opening 26, the pivot opening 13 in the mounting ear 9 of the seat 1, and the pivot socket l9 ofthe adjacent mounting ear 16 of the cover. This permits upward swinging movement of the cover and seat. It will be noted that the spacing between the hinge posts, and between the mounting ears of the seat is such that there is a resultant space 30 between each hinge post and the adjacent seat mounting ear 9. That portion of the hinge pin rod which lies within the space 30 is enlarged, as at 31, to form a readily compressible annular bead, or ring 32. The bead will have an uncompressed outer diameter greater than that of the opening 13 in the seat-mounting ear 9 so as to act as a retainer to hold the hinge pin in position and against accidental longitudinal movement during normal seat use. The bead can compress, however, when the pin is pulled longitudinally for removal.

In mounting the seat upon a toilet bowl, the hinge post studs 23 will be inserted in the holes 33 in the rearward extension of the bowl, and washers 24 and nuts 25 are put on the studs and the nuts tightened to fix the hinge posts to the bowl. With the openings 13 in the seat-mounting ears 9 and the sockets 19 of the cover in alignment with one another and with the pivot openings 26 in the hinge posts, first one hinge pin 5 and then the other will be inserted through the respective openings to pivotally mount the seat and cover on the hinge posts. When the pins have been completely seated, the beads 31 will expand into the spaces 30 and hold the pins against accidental removal. The seat and cover are free for swinging movement, and will occupy the usual position relative to the bowl top when in lowered position.

Due to the fact that the pivot axis for the assembly is on the seat, and at a much greater distance from the bowl top than to the plane of the rear edge of the seat, the rear edge of the seat will be spaced a considerable distance above the bowl when the seat is raised, as shown in FIG. 4. The seat and upstanding mounting ear, in effect,,form a bent lever pivoted at one end. The actual distance of the seat above the bowl is about one and three-eighths inch, ample space for the free insertion of a hand and cleaning cloth for free access to all parts of the bowl top surface and hinge posts. The seat and cover can be removed for complete cleaning when desired simply by engaging the finger pieces 29 of the hinge pins and withdrawing the pins. This leaves the seat and cover free from the hinge posts and separate from one another.

The above described toilet seat assembly is a very practical construction, easy to keep clean and sanitary, and extremely simple to take apart and reassemble. The design of the seat, cover and hinge posts is such that these elements can be molded entirely, and no other parts need be attached to provide hinge connections. The construction provides an assembly wherein the hinge is not visible to the normal viewer.

While in the above one practical embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent that the specific details of construction shown and described are merely by way of illustration, and the invention may take other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

What i claim is:

1. A toilet seat assembly for mounting upon a toilet bowl having a flat top mounting surface comprising, a seat having a ring portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion including upwardly projecting mounting ears, the ears having horizontally aligned pivot openings therein spaced upwardly from the bottom of the seat a substantially greater distance than inwardly from the projected vertical plane of the seat back edge, mountingposts for attachment to the toilet bowl, and separate hinge pins, one through each hinge post and adjacent seat mounting ear, pivotally connecting the hinge post and the seat mounting ears and extending from the hinge posts through the openings in the seat ears whereby when the seat is raised the back edge will be spaced a greater distance above a bowl on which the seat is mounted than the spacing of the seat from the bowl when the seat is lowered to allow free cleaning under the seat when the seat is raised.

2. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim I wherein, the

" hinge pins are removable and have yielding retainers to hold against accidental movement longitudinally of the hinge pins.

3. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seat merges upwardly and rearwardly into an apron interconnecting the mounting ears and partially enclosing the hinge pins.

4. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retainers on the hinge pins are compressible beads formed on the hinge pins.

5. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein there is a seat cover having upwardly extending ears spaced apart to overlie the seat mounting ears and having sockets for alignment with the openings in the seat mounting ears and to receive the ends of the hinge pins.

6. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seat cover has an upwardly and rearwardly extending apron connecting the cover mounting ears and overlying and covering the apron of the seat when the seat and cover are in lowered position. 

1. A toilet seat assembly for mounting upon a toilet bowl having a flat top mounting surface comprising, a seat having a ring portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion including upwardly projecting mounting ears, the ears having horizontally aligned pivot openings therein spaced upwardly from the bottom of the seat a substantially greater distance than inwardly from the projected vertical plane of the seat back edge, mounting posts for attachment to the toilet bowl, and separate hinge pins, one through each hinge post and adjacent seat mounting ear, pivotally connecting the hinge post and the seat mounting ears and extending from the hinge posts through the openings in the seat ears whereby when the seat is raised the back edge will be spaced a greater distance above a bowl on which the seat is mounted than the spacing of the seat from the bowl when the seat is lowered to allow free cleaning under the seat when the seat is raised.
 2. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the hinge pins are removable and have yielding retainers to hold against accidental movement longitudinally of the hinge pins.
 3. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seat merges upwardly and rearwardly into an apron interconnecting the mounting ears and partially enclosing the hinge pins.
 4. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retainers on the hinge pins are compressible beads formed on the hinge pins.
 5. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein there is a seat cover having upwardly extending ears spaced apart to overlie the seat mounting eArs and having sockets for alignment with the openings in the seat mounting ears and to receive the ends of the hinge pins.
 6. A toilet seat assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seat cover has an upwardly and rearwardly extending apron connecting the cover mounting ears and overlying and covering the apron of the seat when the seat and cover are in lowered position. 